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United States Patent | 5,588,984 |
Verini | December 31, 1996 |
Essentially pure nitrogen gas is produced from air and stored by an intermittent, automatic, and unattended process that is compact and self contained. Air is first filtered, compressed and enters a nitrogen module containing a permeable membrane that selectively separates nitrogen from the air and discharges oxygen and other gases. The nitrogen gas then flows into a vessel for storage. The apparatus is enclosed in a housing where automated temperature and pressure controls allows the permeable membrane to separate air components. A discharge hose allows use of the nitrogen product for a variety of intermittent applications including vending for inflation of tires, filling portable nitrogen vessels, and use in other processes needing intermittent and automatic manufacture of nitrogen gas.
Inventors: | Verini; Nicholas A. (404 Lone Eagle Point, Lafayette, CO 80026) |
Appl. No.: | 503596 |
Filed: | July 18, 1995 |
Current U.S. Class: | 95/15; 95/18; 95/19; 95/51; 95/52; 95/54; 96/4; 96/7; 96/10 |
Intern'l Class: | B01D 053/22 |
Field of Search: | 95/1,14,15,18,19,22-24,45,51,52,54 96/4,7-10 55/267-270 |
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Foreign Patent Documents | |||
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Goodyear Intr. Application Bulletin 17 (Sep. 1985) pp. 3-8. Sperberg--Stonger Longer Tires of El Paso, Inc. (Jan. 1985) pp. 1-11. |